Can You Recover From a Perforated Bowel?
In short, yes, it is possible to recover from a perforated bowel. Although it is a life-threatening condition, prompt diagnosis and treatment can lead to a full recovery. A failure to diagnose, however, can be devastating and in some occastions lead to a claim for compensation for medical negligence.
What is a perforated bowel?
A perforated bowel is where the lining of the bowel (the intestines) has torn or split for some reason, allowing the contents of the bowel to leak through into the abdominal cavity. This can allow bacteria to spread, causing additional and life-threatening complications.
A tear can occur at any point in the digestive system, but is usually at some point in the intestines, either the small intestine or the large intestine, otherwise called the colon.
A perforated bowel is sometimes referred to as a ruptured bowel, a torn bowel or a punctured bowel.
Why does it happen?
A perforated bowel can occur as a result of a pre-existing condition such as crohn's disease or diverticulitis where pressure and scar tissue build up in the digestive system, leading to a split in the lining of the intestines.
However, a perforated bowel can also be as a result of an accident during surgery, such as gallbladder surgery, where the surgeon cuts the lining of the bowel during the procedure. This is a known risk in some operations and should be spotted at the time.
What are the effects of a perforated bowel?
If a perforated bowel is not identified promptly, it can lead to peritonitis. This means that the bacteria has infected the lining of the abdomen. If this infection spreads to the blood stream, it can lead to blood-poisoning, organ failure and, in the worst cases, death.
What are the symptoms of a perforated bowel?
If you start to experience the following symptoms, it may be that you are developing peritonitis as a result of a perforated bowel:
- Nausea
- A high temperature
- Abdominal pain
- Loss of appetite
If you have recently undergone abdominal surgery or have a condition of the digestive system, your medical practitioner should consider the possibility of a ruptured bowel.
Can you recover from a perforated bowel?
It is possible to recover from peritonitis as a result of a perforated bowel. The patient will need a course of intravenous antibiotics to get rid of the infection. Surgery is likely to be required to repair the damage to the lining of the bowel and a colostomy bag may be fitted if it is necessary to remove a part of the bowel.
Factors which might affect the extent of recovery include the patient's underlying health, their age, a pre-existing and on-going digestive disorder, alcohol abuse or the presence of a number of other medical conditions such as a kidney disorder.
Recovery is most likely where the condition is diagnosed and treated promptly before more serious complications are allowed to develop.
Medical Negligence
Where a perforated bowel is not diagnosed despite the presence of key symptoms, or where a cut during surgery is not identified and repaired at the time, the patient may be entitled to make a claim for compensation.
Contact Glynns Solicitors, specialists in medical negligence claims, to discuss your situation.
Free initial claim assessment
Think medical treatment may have caused avoidable harm?
Tell our specialist medical negligence team what happened. We will review the initial information and explain whether we may be able to help.
- Tell us what treatment you received and what you believe went wrong
- We assess the initial circumstances
- We explain whether further investigation may be appropriate
Your initial enquiry is free. No Win No Fee funding may be available.
What happens when you contact us?
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1
Tell us what happened
Call us or complete the short enquiry form with a brief outline of the treatment you received and the harm caused.
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2
We assess the circumstances
A member of our specialist team will review the initial details and may ask you for some further information.
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3
We explain your options
We will explain whether we may be able to help, the possible next steps and any funding options relevant to your enquiry.
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